Submitted by Mackenzie Sharp on the 2018 winter session program in New Zealand sponsored by the Department of Animal and Food Sciences…
I have never been out of the country before so when I was accepted to study abroad in New Zealand I was extremely excited for this adventure of a lifetime I was about to go on. However, I was not prepared for how beautiful and different New Zealand is from any place I have ever seen. I was a little nervous at first because a lot of the people on this program were somewhat experienced travelers and I was nervous I wouldn’t fit in, but I immediately felt right at home. Everyone was so nice and easy to talk to which calmed my nerves and talking about all the stuff we were going to be experiencing made me really excited for the month ahead.
Since I have never traveled anywhere outside of the United States, I tried to be as observant of the different culture I was getting a special chance to experience. The first thing I noticed is that the Kiwi people drive on the left side of the road, which was a little confusing at first because it’s something so foreign to me, but I got used to it very quickly. Also, since I’ve never been to a different country, I have never used any currency but U.S. dollars. So having to use New Zealand Dollars and figure out exchange rates was a bit confusing, but the people at the bank were very nice and helpful when I visited to exchange my cash. Most shops in town also close very early, unlike in the U.S. where everything is opened late for shoppers. The Kiwi people are much more relaxed and not as fast paced. The one thing that really throws me off (the jet-lag doesn’t help) is the fact that the sun doesn’t set until around 9:30 pm every night so when the sun starts to set I instinctively think it’s late afternoon, but really it’s pretty late at night. This probably has to do with the fact that it’s a completely different season than it is back home, but I don’t mind because when we go on hikes or we are out in town then we don’t have to worry about it getting dark and losing our way or cutting excursions short.
Overall, even though it’s only been a week and I’m in a very different place than what I’m used to, I have been having the time of my life. Not everyone gets the opportunity to experience something like this and it still doesn’t feel real that I get to, but I would encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and see a new perspective of the world because it makes you realize that there’s so much more out there than what you thought.
